I think we are ahead of foreign players no matter what
Seoul SK will play the 2023-2024 EASL (East Asian Super League) final against the Chiba Jets at the Lapurapu City Hoops Dome in Cebu, Philippines, on the 10th. SK came first with a 94-79 victory over Anyang Jeonggwanjang in the semifinals, followed by Chiba, which made the semifinals, with a 92-84 come-from-behind victory over the New Taipei Kings.
"Both are meaningful. Each team had one win at home in the group stage against Taipei. I also want to play here properly. Chiba is the only team that had no loss in the group stage. Since it is also a match between Korea and Japan, I think they will work harder. I hope they play against New Taipei, but I expect Chiba to come up in terms of power." Oh Jae-hyun said before the final match was confirmed. 토토사이트
As expected by Oh Jae-hyun, Chiba, which was evaluated as an objective power advantage, became SK's opponent. SK and Chiba formed a partnership in October 2020. The partnership was signed as consensus on exchanges was formed in various fields such as joint marketing, player exchanges, data analysis, promotion of social media use, and friendly matches between youth teams.
The two teams faced off in a friendly tournament in September last year, about three years after the partnership was established due to the aftermath of COVID-19. Chiba invited SK, the head of the association, and the B.League's Saga Ballooners to host the 2023 Hotel Flora Preseason Cup.
The Flora Cup was also held under the rules of two foreign players playing together, and Oh Jae-hyun started the game against Chiba. At that time, SK won 79-70 as Jamil Warney and Leon Williams showed off their under-the-goal grip.
The Flora Cup was a friendly tournament, but the EASL was a showdown between the two teams. The two teams also have different personal records. The Chiba team played by adjusting the playing time of Yuki Togashi, who was right after the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Kim Sun-hyung will miss the final following the Flora Cup, but Ahn Young-joon, who was serving in the military at the time, joined the team.
Oh Jae-hyun said, "If it's Chiba at that time, we win 100%. Now the members are better and the body is in good shape. Although (Kim) Sun-hyung is not older, all the players have grown in the meantime. I've also improved compared to then. The biggest difference is that (An) Young-joon is back. After maintaining a good performance in the KBL, he moved to the Philippines and everyone is full of confidence."
Oh Jae-hyun said, "I think we are ahead of foreign players no matter what. As for forwards, Young-joon and (Heo) Il-young are included, we are not lagging behind. The most important thing is me. I should not be pushed back in the guard fight against Togashi. Our team can beat all teams if I am good at it. I will focus on improving my physical condition."
The final is not only an opportunity for SK to win a huge 1 million U.S. dollars, but also a showdown that can gauge Oh's competitiveness once again. Former Rookie of the Year Oh Jae-hyun has grown rapidly this season to prove his value, and has been selected as a member of the national team for the first time in his career. Toghashi, who Oh Jae-hyun has to block, is a rising star of Japan who showed competitiveness in B.League and international competitions even with his 167 centimeter height.
The pride of Korea and Japan is at stake. Will Oh Jae-hyun be able to give the trophy to SK after completing preparation to burn up once again.